Mold confined to wardrobe closet at Ipswich Middle School

Thursday

The yellow Service Master van parked outside an Ipswich school has become a familiar site this fall.

Service Master was first parked outside the Winthrop School for a surface mold problem in nine classrooms.

Now, the Service Master van was parked in back of the Dolan Performing Arts Center and the middle school to clean a mold issue in a wardrobe closet in the center.

Superintendent Brian Blake said the mold was confined to the wardrobe items used for drama costumes and affected no portion of the middle school, including classrooms.

Service Master cleaned the closet, and some of the clothes were cleaned with the rest thrown out.

“We had mold in a small costume room, behind the stage at the Dolan Performing Arts Center and the mold was isolated to that room,,” Blake said. “We threw out most of the clothes and shoes and had the rest cleaned. That’s it.”

Blake said he understood why mold is such an issue for teachers, students and parents.

“Overall mold is a big concern for a lot of people,” Blake said. “I certainly take it seriously as well. When issues come up, we deal with them.”